(OLATHE, Kan., Nov. 15)—McKendree College kicked off the 2006 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship with a 2-0 victory Wednesday against Siena Heights University. The match was played at the College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe, Kan.

 

The Bearcats netted a pair of second-half goals to stretch their unbeaten string to 15 straight matches (14-0-1). McKendree, the No. 14 seed in the 20-team field, improves to 17-3-1 overall and will face No. 3 seed and defending NAIA national champion Martin Methodist University in the second round Thursday at 10 a.m. CST.

 

“We played really hard today, and we had to because Siena Heights is a good team,” said McKendree coach Tim Strange. “Our game plan was to attack offensively when we had the wind in our favor. The weather favored us in the second half, and we were able to take advantage of it. Once we scored that first goal, we were able to let our defense get in rhythm and start to play our game.”

 

Battling colder-than-expected temperatures and blustery conditions similar to last year’s national tournament, McKendree and Siena Heights played to a scoreless tie in the first half. Having the wind advantage in the second half, the Bearcats needed just three minutes to grab the lead. Freshman midfielder Sarah Ryan (Rochester, Ill./Rochester) (Rochester, Ill./Rochester) buried a shot from 20 yards out to give the McKendree a 1-0 lead. Ryan picked up her second goal of the year.

 

McKendree made the one-goal margin hold up for the balance of the half, and nearly scored again when senior defender Laura Cox (Rochester, Ill./Rochester) (Rochester, Ill./Rochester) hit the crossbar in the 81^st minute. The Bearcats were able to add an insurance goal with just 48 seconds remaining when junior midfielder Brittany Fuzessery (Granite City, Ill./Granite City) (Granite City, Ill./Granite City) scored off a free kick from 25 yards out in the final minute of play.

 

Senior Natalie Jameson (Troy, Ill./Triad) (Troy, Ill./Triad) made a season-high six saves to earn the victory in goal for McKendree. Jameson collected her eighth shutout of the year to move to 16-2-1 on the year.

 

“Natalie made some big stops in the first half when Siena Heights had the wind advantage,” said Strange. “Overall, we had a big defensive effort.”

 

With Wednesday’s victory, McKendree has advanced to the second round in all three of its trips to the NAIA national tournament. The Bearcats defeated Northwood University (Texas) in penalty kicks in the 2003 event before edging Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) last year, 1-0.

 

This will be the second consecutive year that McKendree will meet Martin Methodist in the second round of the NAIA National Championship. Last year, the RedHawks were the top-seeded team in the event and defeated the Bearcats by a score of 2-0.

 

For the game, McKendree held a 19-13 edge in shots. The Bearcats put seven of those shots on goal. Siena Heights keeper Katharine Koch made five saves in the contest. The Saints close out their season with an overall record of 15-7-1.